NOT many people know this about Charles “Keep-A-Knockin” Connor, the hall of fame drummer for legendary music legend Little Richard; he’s been married to a Pinay for almost 30 years.
“I blame it all on the balut (duck embryo),” said Connor to the Asian Journal.
At the age of 76, Connor is in the twilight of his magical life, a life that includes being the original drummer for Richard Penniman, better known as Little Richard, performing all around the world, and recording and playing alongside with other rock and roll and R&B music legends like Chuck Berry, Jackie Wilson, Larry Williams, Don Covay, “Papa” George Lightfoot, Christine Kitrell, Larry Birdsong, and Dee Clark.
The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, proclaimed that, “Connor was the first to put the funk in the rhythm.”
But it was a chance encounter with a little girl in the Philippines in 1955 that may have been the biggest influence in Connor’s life.
It was that year when he met his future wife Zenaida, who he says helped change him in the early 1980’s from a twice divorcee and philandering bachelor, to a business-savvy, healthy and empowered gentleman.
“She helped motivate me in every way,” said Connor. “She encouraged me to become a better person.”
Balut
Born in New Orleans Louisiana, Connor said that he was destined to become a drummer since he was in his mother’s womb.
“My mother told me that whenever music was played, I kicked really hard in her womb,” he said. “I was born to be a drummer.”
Connor studied the drums at an early age, eventually becoming a professional drummer by age 12.
At 18, Connor recalls like many in the music profession, he was a starving artist looking for a break. Connor was in Tennessee performing in local clubs when Little Richard took notice of the talented drummer and recruited him to play in his band The Upsetters.
“Back then he wasn’t very big,” said Connor of Richard. “He played mostly in the Southern states but he wasn’t really big yet.”
The band had only been together for a few years when the Upsetters and most notably, Little Richard, skyrocketed to fame. Tutti Fruitti reached No. 1 in the Billboard’s R&B chart and the rest was history.
“He was the hottest entertainer in the world,” said Connor of Little Richard. “Back then it was him and Elvis Presley. I was with him at his peak when the whole world would bow down to Little Richard.”
“It was unbelievable,” he added. “It was a dream that only men can dream about. You got women, liquor, drugs. I was never into drugs. Traveling, people respect you, hotel rooms, flying on planes, everything was first class.”
In 1955, Connor, then 22 years old, toured with Little Richard to Asia and visited the Philippines.
Connor said the band was staying at the Manila Peninsula hotel when he befriended a bellhop, who told him, “If you eat this balut, you’ll have good luck.”
Connor ate the balut and little did he know, good luck was downstairs at the lobby during a meet and greet session. Filipinos from all over came to visit the rock stars and one particular little girl asked Connor for an autograph.
“I wrote on a stationary, ‘Keep rock and roll in your life. Hope you come to America someday.”
That little girl was Zenaida.
Since that trip to the Philippines in 1955, Connor toured with Little Richard, until Richard’s abrupt retirement in 1957. Connor then went on to tour and record with other notable musicians of that era like Jackie Wilson, the original Coasters, and “Big” Joe Turner.
Being on the road for 10 months in a year hurt Connor’s personal life. Connor married and divorced twice, one of whom (not who) was Little Richard’s sister.
New life
In 1981, after finalizing his second divorce, Connor moved to Los Angeles to start a new band and start over.
Connor, during that time, often reflected on his career. One thought kept recurring: what happened to that young girl he met in the Philippines?
“I had these little flashbacks and I kept wondering what happened to this little girl,” he said. “I don’t know why. It was just something that always came up when I think about all the places I’ve been to.”
While shopping at a local grocery store, he was mesmerized by a beautiful lady.
“I see this beautiful girl,” he recalls. “I’m not sure if she’s Chinese, Korean or Japanese and I’ve been everywhere [all over the world].”
Connor approaches her, introduces himself and asks the young lady where she was from.
“She tells me the Philippines,” he said. “I told her I’ve performed in the Philippines with Little Richard. I’m the drummer.”
The girl responds, “Yes, I met the drummer but he was very old.”
It was Zenaida, now all grown up. She was the young girl whom Connor gave an autograph to decades ago.
Connor said his whole life changed from that moment. Rather than touring and being on the road, he decided to book only local gigs.
Zenaida helped slow him down and made him more business-savvy.
“He was living the fast life,” said Zenaida, who is originally from Bulacan, Philippines.
“[Before her] I didn’t have much,” said Connor. “I wasn’t broke. I had money. And now because of her, I have three pieces of property. She encouraged me to do my projects. She taught me how to drive, where to invest my money. I wrote my book because of her.”
After a year and a half of courtship, the two decided to get married.
Zenaida said Connor reminded her of her father.
“Charles is very nice and kind and patient,” she said.
The two have been married ever since. They have one daughter, Queenie.
“We just get along really well,” she said.
Connor was recently inducted to the Louisiana Hall of Fame and is the author of Don’t Give Up Your Dreams: You Can Be a Winner Too!
Connor attributes all of his success to balut.
“That’s what started it all,” he said. “I guess that guy was right. It’s brought me good luck. I blame it on the balut.”
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Midweek March 16-18, 2011 MDWK pg.2)
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